canyon Headless Hen and Raven - Escalante
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RATING: 3B R
LENGTH: Approach - 1 hour. Headless Hen - 2 hours, Rave - 2-3 hours, Exit - 1 hour.
GEAR: Standard Technical Gear, pothole escape gear and wetsuit for Headless Hen. No wetsuit needed for Raven
RAPPELS: 0 - but a 15 m ( 50 ft ) rope is useful.
WATER: Headless Hen has many potholes, Raven can usually be done without getting very wet.
FLASH FLOOD DANGER: Low to moderate.
SEASON: Any, although summers can be very hot.
NOTES: The trailhead requires a high clearance of 4 wheel drive vehicle. Road conditions vary from easily passable to very rough and slow going depending on when the county last maintained the Hole in the Rock road. Be careful if the road is wet, as it becomes impassable quickly during storms.

Hype:

Two small forks of a small side canyon with vastly different personalities. Both are challenging. Both are recommended for experienced canyoneers. Intermediate canyoneers can visit Headless Hen if they are with experienced leaders, but Raven requires everyone be experienced.

Headless Hen is all about potholes. The canyon contains many potholes that are a little bit challenging to get out of, but are generally more challenging to get into than out of. You will need a good climber in the group, or a lot of excellent team work. A minimum group size of 3 is recommended, although more is better. Be very careful getting into the potholes, as some of the downclimbs are tricky, and anchor possibilities are slim.

Raven is my favorite of the two. Raven starts out with some high stemming sections. Nothing particularly difficult, but enough to keep your attention. After a couple of section of stemming comes the fun part, an amazing section of potholes. The trick here is to climb around, instead of through the potholes. None are particularly difficult, but some require interesting climbing moves to get by. A short rope could be useful if a member of your group went in.

Due to their length, it is highly recommended to visit both on the same trip and fill out the day. Unfortunately I have never gotten good pictures in these canyons. The pictures presented don't do the canyons justice. They are fun canyons for an experienced group.

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Photos:

Headless HenRaven from the approachRaven

My History:

I have been through both canyons 2-3 times, most recently in 2007.

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